Robot cars, cricket bets and class actions: Law Commissions around the world

Robot cars, cricket bets and class actions: Law Commissions around the world

Publication Date

01 February 2018

The Law Commission of England and Wales is developing legislation to promote safe use of driverless vehicles. The Guardian reports that the review “is likely to consider the difficult question of who is liable in an accident involving a driverless bus or car – the manufacturer, operator or other drivers”.

The Law Commission of India wants cricket betting to be legal, but under strict law. According to the Better India, India loses $NZ44 billion to illegal betting every year. The Commission hopes that by legalising sports betting India will remove its connections to the criminal underworld.

The Scottish Law Commission has proposed radical changes to the law of defamation to modernise the law for the internet and social media age. The Law Commission of Ontario also has a project looking at how to update defamation law to account for internet speech, including social media, blogs, internet platforms and digital media.

The Australian Law Reform Commission has launched an inquiry into class actions and third party litigation funders. The aim of the inquiry is “to ensure that the costs of [class actions] are appropriate and proportionate and that the interests of plaintiffs and class members are protected.” The Australian Attorney-General says that there “is a significant risk, in such proceedings, that members of plaintiff groups may be required to pay lawyers' fees which are exorbitant and unjustifiable”.